Four days
by Mantida
Summary: Another sequel to 'The List'.


A day after his wedding Aragorn, or King Elessar, as he was called now, was looking from the window of his personal chamber on the balcony of the ladies' quarters, trying to locate his wife, who had suddenly vanished somewhere. Instead of her, he saw a slim blond woman coming to the balcony. Of course, he should have remembered that this room was Éowyn's for now.

After a moment there was still no Arwen in sight, but Aragorn saw a short, bearded figure appearing after Eowyn. Gimli? What was he doing there? They were talking animatedly, Éowyn seemed to be exhilarated about something and... Had he just seen Éowyn kissing Gimli? Aragorn blinked and looked once more. Yes, definitely kissing. On the cheek, but still... And afterwards Gimli bowed and kissed her hand.

What was the meaning of that? Éowyn and Gimli? How strange. Not that Aragorn blamed her on her choice, Gimli was a valiant warrior, a good friend, and a high-born Dwarf. And Aragorn was the last person to condemn anyone for seeking love outside one's race. But did this woman have any notion of constancy? First himself, then Faramir, and now Gimli? Who would be next?

And alas for Faramir, who really had set his heart on Éowyn. Aragorn decided to go and meet him at once. He felt responsible for Faramir, not only as his liege lord, but also as his friend and as a healer. This news would be a heavy blow to the young Steward, and could even be dangerous to his health. Aragorn hoped that Éowyn at least would break it to him in a considerate manner.

Aragorn hurried to Faramir's quarters, only to learn that the Steward had just left to visit his fiancée. Aragorn instantly went after him. Poor Faramir might need his help now, especially if Gimli was still present there.

Aragorn was about to enter Éowyn's chamber when he heard Faramir speaking.

''Yes, I've just heard that he had spoken to you about his love. And that you had accepted him,'' Faramir said. ''This is wonderful news!''

Aragorn froze. Wonderful news? Gimli declaring his love to Éowyn and she accepting the Dwarf was wonderful news for Faramir? Had the shock been so severe that Faramir had suffered a mental breakdown?

''It's very kind of you to say so. Not many people would accept so readily the bond between two males, and males of different races, too.'' Gimli was speaking now.

''What does it all matter if the love is true?'' Éowyn exclaimed. ''I'm so happy for you!''

Aragorn was totally bewildered. Two males? Éowyn might have worn male clothes at some point, but she was a maiden. And Faramir accepting... Éowyn being happy _for_ someone. What was the meaning of all this? A disturbing idea crept into his mind. It sounded now as if Faramir had been accepting the bond between himself and -Gimli-. Nothing for him to do here, then.

But how it was possible? Aragorn wasn't aware that Gimli and Faramir even knew each other well enough. And Faramir was in love with Éowyn... And what was Gimli doing with Éowyn then? Gimli and Faramir, Gimli and Éowyn, or Éowyn and Faramir, after all? Or... Aragorn shuddered. He had heard about such things. Perhaps they had all three decided to live together? Unbelievable, but it explained their behaviour.

Gimli! Faramir! The last two people he would have suspected of having such ideas. And to drag an innocent maiden into this perversity! But was it really up to him to interfere? Éowyn was not a child and she was hardly helpless. And she had a brother, too, who could take care of her. Did Éomer know? Aragorn resolved to inquire tactfully at the next opportunity.

Aragorn returned troubled to the royal chambers, where he finally found Arwen. She explained that she had just finished talking to Legolas in the garden. His wife was smiling happily and when she looked at him with the eyes even more starry than usual, Aragorn forgot about everything.

Next day brought too many tasks for the King of Gondor to spare time to reflect on the life-choices of his friends. However, in the evening Aragorn's misgivings returned with double force. Éowyn and Faramir were both young, and fairly inexperienced. The Dwarf was, of course, a honourable person and he wouldn't have harmed them deliberately, but he might not have realized the differences between their races in the matters of heart. Granted, up til now, Aragorn would have suspected that any differences would have been the other way round. But, what did he know for sure about Dwarves' attitude to these issues? Nothing. Better to take counsel with someone who might know more...

Gandalf, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found. Now, who else might be knowledgeable enough? Legolas? He might have learned something from Gimli, but Aragorn felt that the Elf's opinions might be somewhat biased, given his close friendship with the Dwarf. No reason to trouble Arwen or Elrond. Arwen hadn't had much to do with the Dwarves, and neither she nor Elrond knew personally the people in question. Of course - Lady Galadriel! With her powers and her knowledge about the Dwarves she was the obvious choice. He should have thought about her in the first place.

Aragorn walked to the quarters occupied by Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and their court. The hour was late, but the time of the day didn't matter much for the Lórien Elves, so he probably wouldn't intrude on Lady Galadriel's rest hours. He was about to enter the corridor leading to her chambers when the door was opened and... Gimli walked out.

Worse, he didn't simply walk out. He was stopped on the threshold by Lady Galadriel herself, who half-knelt in front of him, put his hand of the Dwarf's arm, and kissed him on the forehead. The exchanged some whispered words and Gimli went on his way with strangely sparkling eyes, not noticing Aragorn, who felt that his world was on a verge of collapse.

Gimli and Lady Galadriel! Lady Galadriel had always been very friendly to Gimli, true, but this... This was simply impossible. He refused to believe his own eyes. There was absolutely no possibility of Lady Galadriel deceiving Lord Celeborn. An absurd notion! Surely, he had completely misunderstood the situation. Shame on him for imaging this even for a moment!

What he had seen and heard before simply had to have some other, perfectly innocent meaning, too. But what other meaning? Gimli, Faramir, and Éowyn together... No, clearly ludicrous, he should have seen it at once. He really had to control better his imagination in the future.

Aragorn returned to his and Arwen's bedroom with a firm resolution not to speculate anymore on Gimli and his possible love interests. With a tremendous effort of will, he very nearly managed to keep his thoughts in check for the next two days... Until the moment when he walked into his own reception room and saw Gimli and... Legolas sitting there and kissing.

Aragorn closed his eyes, and leaned heavily on the wall. This was too much for him. Of course, they were good friends and they both could be very affectionate with their friends. But had he ever seen any of them kissing Merry Brandybuck, for example? No. And was that a way one kissed one's friend? Hardly. So... No, he really ought to have been ashamed at himself for thinking such thoughts. He should have remembered where his imagination had gotten him with Gimli and Lady Galadriel.

Aragorn opened his eyes in a wild hope that the disturbing vision would vanish or some completely innocuous explanation would present itself. No, they were still kissing, only more so. _Definitely _not in a way one kissed one's friend.

Aragorn moved uneasily and the kissing pair finally had good grace to notice him and stand up.

''Please forgive us for making such use of your room, my lord,'' Gimli said. ''As you can see, our bond has recently become closer than friendship. We've wanted to speak to you about this now, but I'm sure you are already aware of this.''

''Apparently, practically everybody is,'' Legolas added, laughing.

Bond closer than friendship... So it was true. Gimli was admitting it himself. It hadn't been his overactive imagination. Éowyn, Faramir, Lady Galadriel, and now Legolas... They said Dwarves took mates only once in their lives. Hah! Such nonsense! Once in a day, perhaps. Was it fair, too? He had to wait sixty years for Arwen. And Gimli? Someone new every day! And what it was about the Dwarf that they all had fallen for him? Not his looks, for Valar's sake!

Gimli looked at Aragorn puzzled. He had been expecting some degree of surprise, but not this totally flabbergasted expression. The King of Gondor was catching his breath with difficulty, and was staring at him with frenzied eyes. Why only at him? And why with this mixture of incredulous horror and grudging admiration?

Aragorn tried to collect himself. They were waiting for him to say something. They had wanted to speak to him about their bond. So, it seemed that at least as far as Legolas was concerned, Gimli had serious intentions. Well, if nothing else it was definitely easier to accept than Gimli, Éowyn, and Faramir together or Gimli with Lady Galadriel. However, did Legolas know what he was getting himself into?

''I...'' Aragorn stammered, caught his breath, and started again. ''I am glad to hear this. I really am. Only... Legolas, you do realize that Gimli's ideas about love and fidelity may be different from yours, don't you?''

Gimli couldn't believe his own ears. This was simply insulting. A king or not, his friend or not, Gimli was not going to have anyone speak to his chosen mate in this way. Unlike him, Legolas might have had other lovers in the past - Gimli was aware of that - but to call the Elf promiscuous to his face!

''What are you talking about?! Who do you take me for?!'' Good! Gimli should have known that Legolas could hold his own. ''It will clearly surprise you but let me tell you that the ideas of my people and the Dwarves on this subject are not that different at all.''

Aragorn collapsed bonelessly on the chair. Of course. Silvan Elves. He had heard stories, but until now he had always attributed them to Noldor's prejudice.

''Aha. Good. Very good.'' He felt dizzy and strangely detached, but it was not up to him to judge them. If they could both be happy in an open relationship, all was well. Only, it just showed you how little you actually knew about your friends. Gimli first, and now Legolas...

Legolas instantly felt sorry. He shouldn't have snapped at Aragorn in this way - after all, the Man had had good intentions. Who knew what kind of stories about the Mirkwood Elves' wantomness they had fed him in Imlardis? Not Elrond himself, perhaps, but the others... It was not Aragorn's fault. He should have been grateful to him for trying to protect Gimli, and not have been angry with him.

''Please excuse my outburst,'' he apologized. ''I really appreciate your concern for Gimli. But rest assured that we both intend to remain true to each other.''

Aragorn cast him a strange, uncomfortable look.

''Gimli? From what I've seen, Gimli is the last person who needs my concern.''

Legolas bristled. Offending him was one thing, but insulting Gimli in his presence was quite different matter.

''I beg your pardon,'' he said coldly. ''but would you care to tell us what exactly you have intended to convey by these words?''

Aragorn was acutely embarrassed. He had faced many unpleasant tasks in his life, but nothing which would have prepared him for explaining such things to Legolas. In front of Gimli, too. And the fact that they both were looking at him as if he had suddenly sported two heads wasn't helping. But it had to be done. The apparently unaware Elf needed to know the truth, however painful. Aragorn braced himself and started explaining.

Gimli was so befuddled by the accusations that Aragorn managed to carry on his tale practically to the end. It took the Dwarf some time to understand fully what he was hearing. Granted, Éowyn was his friend but Faramir? Why Faramir? Had he exchanged on any occassion more than fifty words with the Steward? And as for Lady Galadriel, the idea was simply preposterous.

Gimli made the mistake of looking at Legolas to check how his Elf was reacting to these revelations. He shouldn't have been worried. Legolas was sitting motionlessly with a grave expression on his face, but the gleam of unholy glee in his eyes was well known to Gimli. The Elf was having time of his life. Their eyes met and Gimli couldn't help bursting into laugh. And Legolas soon joined him.

When he managed to stop laughing Gimli made it clear to Aragorn in short words that what he took for his illicit liaisons were reactions to the news of his bond with Legolas. The explanation was met with instant, grateful belief and apology. Apparently, the newly-acquired picture of his friend didn't fit well into the King's view of the world.

Gimli readily accepted the apology. All this was so absurd, and Aragorn was looking so confused, that he couldn't bring himself to be angry. And perhaps the Dwarves were overly secretive? It appeared that even normally sensible people were prepared to believe practically anything about them.

Legolas, in spite of his amusement, would have been less forgiving, if not for the feeling of sincere admiration for Aragorn. Up to now, he would say that if the King of Gondor had had any faults, certain lack of imagination would have been close to the top of the list. Clearly, he had been mistaken. Anyone capable of conjuring such images out of a void definitely didn't lack in this quality. Besides, in terms of interesting reactions to their news, Aragorn had easily beaten even Merry and Pippin. Legolas couldn't wait now for what Elrond might have to say on this subject.

Aragorn felt that the universe, perplexing and unbalanced as of late, fell now into the right place. Gimli and Legolas? Strange, he would normally say, but at least understandable. If only they had told him earlier! It seemed that everyone else had been informed before him, and because of this, he had been through four nightmarish days.

He hesitantly approached the subject.

''I'm so sorry,'' Gimli said. ''We decided to tell the others first because we weren't sure of your reaction.''

''I beg your pardon, my lord, too.'' Legolas added with a stifled laugh. ''We have misjudged you. You are obviously ready to accept much stranger bonds than ours.''

The pair left. Aragorn pondered what his reaction to the bond between Legolas and Gimli would have been in the other circumstances. Honestly, he had no idea. After several days of being haunted by distressing images of Gimli with Faramir and Éowyn, and Gimli with Lady Galadriel, his only feeling was one of a deep, overwhelming relief.

Author notes: Beta-read by the excellent Mogs.

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